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I went with my system because I'd like to hook up my computer, a tv, and a record player. If you're just looking to play something off a computer you can get a better than 90% of computer speaker systems for about €200/€250. If you're like me you'll have to rely on reviews, as there's nowhere to test them near me. But basically you're looking for anything that has a slightly warmer sound and is designed for listening rather than production.

I went ahead with the Onkyo and some Wharfdale 220s. Including the cables it came to about €480. I have the amp right now, I'm just waiting on the rest of my shipment. I'm going to see if I can pick up a record player somewhere but even the AT LP60 goes for about €160 here, which is far too much for what it is. I might check out a €50 second hand JVC player in a second hand store, but that's dependent on whether I can find a replacement cartridge and needle. Otherwise the gap between the shitty Crosleys available locally and the entry level Pro-jects on Amazon isn't huge, it'd just take a bit of saving. Then I'd have something I could play my one record on (although my aunt has said I can borrow some of her folk and opera records. I think there's some Jethro Tull buried in there as well.)

Scout locally for a used record player. Dual were usually decent and can be had for a lot less than new turntables. Tone arm and cartridge can wait unless they are completely busted but then I wouldn't buy the turntable.

M8 you think I can differentiate between a decent monitor brand and your arsehole??

I can, but a lot depends on application, and past a certain, not really that expensive level of monitors, what you do to your listening environment probably has more payoff until you are plenty bux in to room treatment already, then you'll be able to tell why the Neumanns cost what they do.

M8 you think I can differentiate between a decent monitor brand and your arsehole??

I can, but a lot depends on application, and past a certain, not really that expensive level of monitors, what you do to your listening environment probably has more payoff until you are plenty bux in to room treatment already, then you'll be able to tell why the Neumanns cost what they do.

That's why I asked what would be a decent cheap setup. Mrenda recommend a pair of active monitors. Is that the way to go? If so which ones should I be looking at? Or at least where can I read up on this stuff?

Although active monitors would be a very good call, off the shelf hi-fi gubbins works really well. You can even get great stuff second hand at a much cheaper price. Forget most of the offerings from computer companies and the shitty soundbars and the like, their sound quality is pretty awful at most audio levels above a whisper. You can pretty much grab any CD player (remember those) from Marantz, Cambridge audio or NAD, an amp from NAD, Denon, Yamaha or speakers from KEF, B&W or Tannoy and it will produce better sound no matter the material.

Find your price point and do a little research to find something suitable and then pop along to a specialist and listen to what you want to hear if it fits the bill. Bare in mind that your room and positioning of the speakers will change the sound almost as much as a completely separate component.

In German:​ hifi-forum.de
Very competent but every now and then you run into an elitist jerk.
Also in German: hifi-wiki.de
A wiki with infos on tons of old equipment and basic knowledge in the physics of soundwaves (low bass waves can have an amplitude measuring a few meters, if your room isn't big enough it will sound like shit)

Head-fi.org
English, more headphone oriented, Very knowledgeable, not averse to hacking something to make it better before investing into something more expensive. Will also hack the most expensive things ever to be even better.

I found more stuff in great detail in German than in English tbh. And I did try to find stuff in English.

That being said, I think powered speakers are very much the way to go IF you care about sound reproduction.
If you care about a pleasant listening experience (not saying this precludes powered monitors), well, you can spend as much money as you will ever have chasing that.

Objectively, having matched and tuned amps (per speaker, sometimes, but this is already at a cost level you don't need to spend without room treatment) will result in a tighter adherence to specs, meaning, you get what you pay for in terms of how the speakers color the sound, assuming manufacturing is precise, and you can verify the claimed specs.

Random amp into random speakers will always be a bit of a crap shoot, but obviously, many combinations will sound good. I will very much argue that a good pair of studio monitors (even beginner to mid level) give you a very pure listening experience, much like getting food in a restaurant and trusting the chefs seasoning. Audiophile/Hifi, on the other hand, tends to try and sell you subjective qualities, a lot of the time, and while some of the kit is quite good, a lot of it is colored, in terms of frequencies. Some of this works great. I play music at parties at my house through an old (like 70s) pair of Klipsch because, holy shit, are they amazing sounding speakers at giving a living room a wonderful tone that lets you hear tings above the party, yet doesn't cut. I wouldn't deep listen to anything on them though, way to upper mid hyped.

First figure out the need for more expensive speakers. What, mostly, do you want to spend money on achieving in a listening sense?

The above. Add Dynaudio (Danish) to the mix of speakers. I almost said Wharfedale but those are harder to get outside the UK. Canton are a German maker which you may can get Zeekar.

Best bet would be to go to a proper hifi store and just have a listen.

I did that and ended up with a Yamaha amp and Dynaudio speakers.

But the room and where you listen and what you listen to is important.

When you go to test something, bring your own music on a CD.

Tapapapatalk

When I've bought my setup (Yamaha amp and 2x psb image t5) I couldn't test both at the same time. Now I kinda regret cause the PSB don't sound as good as they could because the amp doesn't support all of what the speaker wanna receive (Yeah I need to swap amp, but :lazy: ).

I'm not sure a which point PSB are availiable/pricey in other country.

Speakers seem to be one of the few products that are made in a lot of countries to high specs by many small manufacturers which end up being available only there.
That's certainly true for Germany. Canton, Magnat, Teufel, Nubert are small to medium sized hifi companies and seem to be virtually unknown outside of Germany. The latter two only sell their stuff through their website though.

Teufel is more focused on surround setups (though they do have pure stereo speakers as well). They have quite a lot THX certified speakers.
Nubert is classic hifi speakers. They do have powered bookshelf speakers. Can't check if their website does even have an English language option.

Zeekar: if you can spend the money, order (an amp and) a few speakers and listen to them in your home. That way you could pick those that sound the best to you.